Improveivient in railways



i '1N-Iran.

PATENT y EFIC'E. 7

f MiPlRovzEM ENTi IN RAI LwAfYs'.

Speciicationu'orining2 part of` Letters rPatent No.`l07`,61 13, dated Svcptenib 120, 1870.

yTo allwhom/invitar]concern:

- `hounj` and `State `of lMichigan, have invented certain Improvementsin Railways, of which thefollowingis aspecilieation. f

y, Myinventionrelates yto the constructionof4 g arailwayinwhichrolledfiron bed-plates (having. af `longitudinal saddle ridge or-tongue, flanked by side ribs, formed, respectively, by

ther/ending and `fulling outrof theheated metal duringfthe rolling procsss) are-laidon a..

substratum of `cross-ties, or on longitudinal wooden bed-sills `co1nloin'ed` with crossfties,

prepared to f resist decay, and embedded in the ballast of the road-bed.` These bedvplatesrare v, designed to formnacontimious chair oniwhich to bedandconii'ne` thctrackuails, which arey `of ;such.relative conformation a'sgtobestri-de j the said ridge or tongue, and `be inclosedbetweenthe ribs toresistlin the most effect-ive` manner both lateral and vertical displacement without extraneous aid.

It also relates to `combining withlthe .aforesaid rails and chair bedfjplates, when erected. on longitudinal,bedfsills, a systenrof locking tiefplatesf, by which the `chair-platesl are effectually prevented frombeing spread apart, `and 4other iinportant,advantages secured tothe i road-bed.` 5

"My invention is shown. in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and of whiohthe following is a description.y

' `Figure lisapartial oros`s-sectiouot` road-bed :and superstructureI of'longitudinalsills and `transverse tie-plates.` Fig. 2 is a similar section, `tl'iechair bedfplate andrailfbeingflaid on 1 cross-ties.- Fig. 3 is atopfonplan view.

Similarletters of `reference indicate correspending parts in allfthe `figures. 4 Thetrack-rails `are represented at A, and

` l Should b'roneu of steel," or. of non and steer combined in the most approved known manner.

1 The chair bed-plates are show nat B. i They are usually rolled in` sections the' length ofthe rails, and of any sufficient width and thicki :ness to form afirm and steady support for the "rail, `whether erected on fthe wooden longi tudinal bed-'sills G or onthe ordinary cross-l ties, D. f

` The maintaccessory) devices pertaining to CHAnLnsH. wriirn onnivrMErr'rowNsHrr, CALHOUN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

`on the upper side of the plate, of any suitable form in crosssection, one form, which I regard the most eiiective,1being shown at a' a a,

.representing the folds of thc `i'olled metal, by

the corrugating, bending, and reducing processes in ordinary use in rolling-mills to produce analogous forms.V

y SecondJA fulled-out tapering rib,fr, runy ning longitudinally `on, each side of the ridge,l

and parallel with it. It being the design that agroovel shall be formed in the body of the rail. to fit over and bestride the ridge or tongue ontheplate, it follows that the ribs -must be so `placed that when the rail is in place astride the saddle-tongue the base of said rail will be snugly inclosed between the ribs, the thin upper edgesof which must rise somewhat above the base-anges. Y

Third. Vhenf the rail-plates are designed to be laid on wooden longitudinal bed-sills, a flange, j', may be turned down at the outer edge, and lock-folds, as seen at e, on the inner edge, in addition to the appurtenances described. Y The saddletongue on the'plate B and the rail-groovemay stand vertical; butritis much better (provided no insuperable difficulty eX- ists to prevent) that the joint-lines should incline toward the center of the trackway, as

shown in Figs. land 2, so as to'act like a dovetail inresisting the tipping-lift of the `in-V ner side of .theirail'by the outward thrust of the wheel-Hanges.` I design, however, that the solid outer ribs, r, shall sustain mainly the direct lateral strain, for which reason l usu-V ally make them a little stouter, and give them a deeper bearing against the railbase, as shown. the tongue and the bottom of the groove to receive a wooden-or more elastic -filling, as at fi, and the spaceinside the tongue may receive a similar one, thus excluding the entranceof -watertliroughthe joints and increasing the elasticity of the track.

` Eis a broken section of one of the lock tieplates, used to tie the chairbed-plates together x when -laid on longitudinal bed-sills C, said tieplates being provided with a double lock-fold at each end to match and engage with the lock- Sufficient space may be left between folds on the inner edges ofthe chair bed-plates, as at e.

In this mode of construction it may become necessary, in order to 'preserve the transverse level of the sills C, that they should betied below as well as above, in which case atransverse bar or plate, n, with end iianges, f', overlapping the chair-plate flanges, may be employed, and both be secured to the sill by the same bolt, b, and in addition a cross-sleeper, F, may be embedded at intervals for the sills to rest The bedsills should be of such length as to break joints both with the chair bed-plates and rails, and their Yends had better be lapped or doweled together, and as fast as two short lines of .sills are properlyT bedded to the line, gage, and grade, the chair bed and tie plates maybe laid ou and locked together, and the road-bal1 last filled in as the erection progresses.

The tie-plates may cover the entire area between the bed-plates, orbe laid with intervals of exposed ballasting between, in which case it would be highly desirable to lay on said ballast a coating of hard and tough composition cement, iiush with the iron tieplates, in order to make the track-bed, as far as practicable, impermeable to water. 1

After the rails are bedded in their seats on the chair-plates the ribs r r must be hammered down to overlap the edges of the base-anges of the rails at any suitable points, as shown at o o, &c.; but the upper edges of the ribs should be so formed in relation with the rail-base that while such overset is amply sufficient to prevent any vertical clattering movement of the rails as a train passes over them, especially at thejoints, it may yet be very readily turned back by a suitable claw-pointed lever (using the rail-head as a fulcrum) whenever it is necessary to remove a rail.

Should the chair bed-platesB lie on a foundation of wooden 'cross-ties D, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, the plates will have straight plain edges; and although I have exhibited them as fastened to part of the cross-ties by common railroad-spikes, I will say here that I do not approve of their use, for they hasten the destruction of wooden ties and are'uncertain, therefore dangerous, means of attachment.

Instead of employing spikes, I prefer to shorten the usual overlap of the cross-ties, square up their ends, and overlay them with longitudinal plates P, secured by end fianges, f. rlhe chair-plates B lie across these cross-tie plates, and are inelosed between two lips, s, formed by cutting through and turning up sections of the metal, said lips being bent down over the edges of the chair bed-plates, which effeetually secures all in place.

the iron plates should be coated to prevent Corrosion.

The chair bed-plates and rails can be easily l bent in forms7 to suit curves of the ordinary radius, and it is fully expectedthat the seating and overlapping of .the rails and plates will maintain the track in such perfect alignment as to prevent the usual side wear of the rails; but in case it should occur to any extent, the rails may be readily changed or reversed, so as to present an unworn edge to the wheel-flanges.

The principal advantages of my improved traek over others are'increased durability and safety by its inherent capacity to maintain against all ordinary casualties the most perfect and lasting alignment and parallelism of the rails, for they cannot spread apart, nor, if broken, get out of place and line. My arrangement is therefore specially adapted for highspeed lines, and,apart from the saving in wear and tear of rolling-stock and in other details of railway service which it is designed to effeet, it dispenses with all the separate and annoying details of spikes, iish and chair plates, bolts and bolt-holes,l &c., for in my plan the means of attachment are provided for in the construction and arrangement of the rails and supporting bed-plates, and are of such nature as not torequire the constant supervision and renewal by an army of track-men, as under the present system of construction.

I claim as my inventionl. The formation of the ridge a on the bedplate B so-that it shall incline toward the center of the trackway to fit into a correspondingly-inclined groove in the rail.

2. The construction of the bed-plate B with the ridge a, either verticalor inclined, as described, and with side ribs, r r, which, when hammered down, secure the grooved rail on the ridge,without other fastening, against vertical as well as lateral displacement.

3. The chair bed-plates B and rails A, constructed and'connected as provided in the preceding clause, in combination with longitudinal wooden bed-sills D and tie-plates E, secured,respectively, by flanges f and lock-folds e, or in other equivalent and `suitable manner, substantially as for the uses specified.

CHARLES H. WHITE.

IVitnesses C. T. COOK, OTTO L. J oHNsoN. 

